Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Worcester, MA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $2,930 in Worcester, MA, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Worcester, MA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

141

Cost of Living Index in Worcester, MA
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Worcester, MA Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Worcester, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,930

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Worcester, MA and in Austin, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Worcester, MA and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,930 in Worcester, MA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Worcester, MA $2,930
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,087 in Worcester, MA versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Worcester, MA $4,087
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,243 in Worcester, MA versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Worcester, MA $5,243
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Worcester, MA is roughly 10% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Worcester, MA 117% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.75 $22.75

$20.77 $20.77

9.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.7 $73.7

$84.6 $84.6

-12.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.18 $12.18

$12.32 $12.32

-1.14%

Cappuccino

$5.10 $5.10

$5.63 $5.63

-9.41%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.72 $3.72

-36.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$2.50 $2.50

-32.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.97 $5.97

$8.05 $8.05

-25.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.88 $6.88

$9.01 $9.01

-23.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.12 $1.12

7.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 $3.68

$3.75 $3.75

-1.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.08 $5.08

$3.26 $3.26

55.83%

Eggs

$3.80 $3.80

$4.17 $4.17

-8.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 $19.07

$12.90 $12.90

47.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.75 $10.75

$14.16 $14.16

-24.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.37 $20.37

$16.22 $16.22

25.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 $3.74

$4.33 $4.33

-13.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.46 $1.46

-4.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 $3.43

$4.51 $4.51

-23.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$4.34 $4.34

11.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.58 $2.58

15.12%

Onion (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.35 $2.35

42.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.78 $1.78

2.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$2.22 $2.22

-31.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.04 $13.04

$9.88 $9.88

31.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.13 $12.13

$15.08 $15.08

-19.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.92 $2.92

-42.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 $3.36

$3.46 $3.46

-2.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 $4.90

$2.73 $2.73

79.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.66 $1.66

45.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.67 $35.67

$35.30 $35.30

1.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.95 $0.95

14.74%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.6K $34.6K

$36.0K $36.0K

-3.93%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$24.6K $24.6K

$27.1K $27.1K

-9.11%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$190 $190

$229 $229

-16.94%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$56.1 $56.1

$59.4 $59.4

-5.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.1 $62.1

$69.9 $69.9

-11.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.64 $28.64

$57.2 $57.2

-49.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.24 $30.24

$16.33 $16.33

85.18%

Cinema Ticket

$16.54 $16.54

$14.28 $14.28

15.83%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,713 $1,713

$1,506 $1,506

13.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.7K $43.7K

$21.5K $21.5K

103.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.27 $48.27

$52.8 $52.8

-8.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.60 $34.60

$43.82 $43.82

-21.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 $92.3

$84.8 $84.8

8.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 $148

$103 $103

43.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,877 $1,877

$1,907 $1,907

-1.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,656 $1,656

$1,274 $1,274

29.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,932 $2,932

$3,664 $3,664

-19.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,376 $2,376

$2,538 $2,538

-6.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,867 $2,867

$7,614 $7,614

-62.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,872 $2,872

$3,157 $3,157

-9.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,195 $4,195

$5,121 $5,121

-18.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

6.79

-6.77%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Worcester, MA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Worcester, MA

$1.7K 56.5%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 23.1% $382

Groceries & Markets

Worcester, MA

$402 13.7%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 0.6% $2.6

Eating Out

Worcester, MA

$340 11.6%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 4.2% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Worcester, MA

$308 10.5%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 16.2% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Worcester, MA

$145 5%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 11.9% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Worcester, MA

$62 2.1%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 39% $24

Getting Around

Worcester, MA

$17 * 0.6%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 245% $42

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,877 in Worcester, MA and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $74.0 in Worcester, MA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $402 vs $405 per month, with Worcester, MA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Worcester, MA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

04:11 4:11 AM

03:11 3:11 AM

1 h behind Worcester, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

206,518

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Highest

Between locations

Worcester, MA Austin, TX 2,670 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Worcester, MA
Austin, TX

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Worcester, MA vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Worcester, MA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 22% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,877 in Worcester, MA versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,713 in Worcester, MA versus $1,506 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $74.0 in Worcester, MA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Worcester, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.